Fitness Tips to Prep You for the Holidays

Autumn is in full swing and fairly soon the holidays will be upon us—which often means an abundance of rich foods and a relaxed attitude towards diet and exercise. While indulging a little in the holiday smorgasbord may be OK, it’s a good idea to start healthy habits now so you’ll be ready to confront the gravy boat on your table when Thanksgiving comes around. Here are four tips reported on by the Huffington Post, from fitness and wellness expert Don Saladino, to get you on the right track:

Follow the 80-20 rule. You may have heard of this one before. Simply put, you need to make healthy choices regarding food, exercise, and sleep 80% of the time. For example, during this time, eat mostly lean proteins, vegetables, and slow-burning carbs such as sweet potatoes and gluten-free oatmeal. As far as exercise goes, if your weekly goal is to do five workouts, make sure you get in at least four. With the remaining 20% of your time, you can cut yourself a little slack—although you still want to be health conscious, it’s not an invitation to become a couch potato.

Get sleep aplenty. It’s important to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Sleep helps your body rest and recover, which helps you perform better overall.

Drink enough water. One general rule is to drink 50 ounces of water per 100 pounds of body weight. Others advise simply drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Getting enough water keeps toxins and impurities moving out of your body and it may even help your skin look better.

Put a cap on alcohol intake. Limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. When counting your drinks, bear in mind that this recommendation is based on the standard definition of a drink: 12 ounces of beer, 7 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Exceeding this recommendation could be harmful to your health.